The Clock Strikes XIII
by TheVulpineHero1
Summary: Thirteen 100 word drabbles about the Black Cat and his associates. Hints of TrainxSaya, TrainxEve, SvenxTearju and RinsxJenos.
1. I

_White

* * *

_

White's his favourite colour. It should be black, to go with his nickname, but maybe choosing a different colour is another way of running from his past. Or something.

Really, he likes the colour because it reminds him of stuff he likes. It reminds him of the moon, pale and luminous, straddling the night sky and shining down on a carefree woman in a yukata. It reminds him of Lil' Princess, with her porcelain skin and shining wings. And it reminds him of the plastic cups his noodles come in.

It also reminds him of milk. And _nothing_ beats that.


	2. II

_Family

* * *

_

"_Hey, Princess!"_ his voice cracks down the phone. "_I heard Sven's dating Tearju."_

"Correct."

"_Isn't it weird? I mean, she's like your mom, or something." _he says, dodging words like 'clone' and 'original' with his trademark blend of sensitivity and carelessness.

It _is _strange. But it's fulfilling, because at least _one_ of her got him.

"_I guess he's busy, huh...Want some company?"_

"You just want to raid the fridge." she accuses.

"_You didn't say no."_ he laughs, and puts the phone down.

She smiles. There are far worse people to share dinner with.


	3. III

_Innocence

* * *

_

There's really nothing like a good office chair.

"Trai...such a...idiot, you...STOP!"

Sven sweeps past, all his greens and yellows bleeding together like a watercolour under a hose.

"Hmph...How...so _childish_...my rival?"

The princess is all blacks and golds. Something's wrong with that, somewhere. Her colours are way too similar to the colours of Hades. But he really shouldn't compare her to a weapon-

Sven's arm whips out and catches him at the neck, and suddenly he's on the floor. He blinks, smiles. They don't. He pities them. There's nothing like a spinning office chair to chase away the blues.


	4. IV

_Art

* * *

_

There's a definite art to charming women, and Jenos Hazard knows it better than anyone. But he's having trouble with a certain lady, because it appears she knows the art, too.

You can't be obvious about it. If you're obvious, you're trying too hard. It's only later that you close in for the killer blow- love is just like war, except with more pleasant results. But it doesn't work on her; she's too alert.

Still, he'll keep trying, because he's sure they understand each other.

The secret to charming women? Same as the ethos of the thief.

Don't get caught.


	5. V

_Deceptive

* * *

_

He looked so relaxed, his finger on the trigger, batting bullets away with a sweep of his hand. There had almost been a smile on his face, a flash of fangs before the final victory.

He looked so sure, in that misty half-vision, the enemies falling around him, until only one was left.

He looked unbeatable.

Until the one bullet he missed buries itself in his shoulder. Until the gun slips from his fingertips. Until the last, guttering breath falls from his lips.

Sven's eye has shown him what the future looks like. But he believes looks can be deceptive.


	6. VI

_Independence

* * *

_

Zagine.

_Bang_

Chronos.

_Bang_

Saya.

_Bang_

Even Sven, Eve, Rinslett.

_Bang, Bang, Bang_

He's always depended on other people, despite his stray cat ways. When he disappeared, after that final battle, they all thought he was running away from them. From responsibility.

_Bang_

Maybe he was.

_Bang_

He's not making excuses. He owes them a hell of a lot, and even though he's always in debt _some_ way or another, he doesn't intend on letting his friends go unpaid.

But he still believes it, somewhere deep down; that you can only really learn to fly without a safety net.

_Click._


	7. VII

_Royalty

* * *

_

For a while, she lived in a castle, with great turrets and walls of alabaster. She was a princess, and that was her world. Her only friend was the cold stone. Her only enemy was the deafening silence. All was still.

Two knights came, and took her castle apart, stone by stone, brick by brick. At first, she just watched, as they carried away her world and threw it into the infinite ocean. Then, trembling, she took a brick herself.

She still dreams of how small her hands were.

Thus, the castle crumbled. But she's still a Princess to them.


	8. VIII

_Desperation

* * *

_

He's seen the future. And he doesn't like what he sees. He doesn't believe in fate, because fate took away his best friend when it should have took him. Fate's as blind as a bat, and he doesn't trust it.

That's why he aches. That's why he dodges, he weaves and he curses. Because he's going to take the script Fate gives them and tear it up with his own hands. But he's seen the future. And he's seen himself fail. Still...

When you know you're going to lose, but you keep fighting every step of the way. That's desperation.


	9. IX

_Stone

* * *

_

If you had a tiny pebble, you could divert the course of a great river- if only you knew just where to put it.

Creed knows.

The stone is Train Heartnet. And he knows, deep down, that as soon as he possesses that stone, he can flood the world with his own ideals. Train is the key.

Creed is wrong.

The stone that disturbs the course of history- the stone that will divert his river back at him- has already been placed.

On a moonlit night, long ago, the fireworks mourned her passing. Her gravestone decided the Black Cat's course.


	10. X

_Aches

* * *

_

"Stop complaining, Train." says the newspaper, rustling itself at him.

"Yes. Your comments only make the situation less bearable." the china doll agrees.

It's been three days since he last had a square meal. The newspaper dies and becomes a hatstand, which leaves the room. The china doll follows, taking the newspaper with it. Maybe they're going to bury it. Awfully nice of them.

Although, on the other hand, maybe paper's edible. Just maybe.

"We cannot get any work done with him like this." the china doll says.

"I know. Just wish he'd quit his bellyaching."


	11. XI

_Gentleman

* * *

_

He's a true gentleman. If he sees a woman, he'll tip his hat, and snub his cigarette.

_Fingertips brush golden hair_

But why is he doing _this_? Well, she _did_ ask him nicely. And he can't say no to a lady.

_So warm, so soft_

But it really is impossible. If only she'd stop treating it like an experiment.

_The taste, the smell_

"G-Getting better." he winces, trying his seventh omelette. She's improved since he made her wear a hair bun.

"Good...Now eat up, or no dessert!" she calls. He groans. He just can't say no to Tearju.


	12. XII

_Reverb

* * *

_

The sound shivers up his feet and through his legs. He thinks it'll end with his head, but it steals away to his fingertips. His hands shake from the sound.

The Princess is singing again. It's a pop song, but the princess sings like it were an opera. Her own spine tingling lament.

She's singing partly for him (because he asked), but partly for herself. The sound makes her happy, distracts her mind.

She's the second woman to have sung for him, since his mother passed away. Maybe one day, he'll teach her the song he learned from the first.


	13. XIII

_Lucky

* * *

_

Think lucky and you'll be lucky. That's what they say.

_Any one of them could have died_

He's the luckiest one of all. He's got no regrets.

_Black Cat, bringing you bad luck_

You can only live if you're prepared to die.

_They all knew the risks, all of them_

Every bullet was a chance they took. Every battle, a coin tossed.

_All or nothing, the luck of the draw_

No one can beat the odds forever. Every lucky streak ends.

_You win, or you lose. No. Big. Deal._

But in the great big casino called life, gambling is mandatory.


	14. 0, Author's Notes

_Author's Notes

* * *

_

Note: Spoilers for more than one anime.

Well, I've always wanted to contribute to the Black Cat fandom somehow. With this little collection (as well as _In Morbus Quod Valetudo_), I hope I've done that. Black Cat is a series that I love not only for the characters or the humour, but for the corn-in-a-can style. It takes familiar elements and makes them fresh. In the past, I've described Train Heartnet as "Spike Speigal with superpowers"; seeing as Spike Speigal is my favourite anime character (with Cowboy Bebop being my favourite anime), I mean that very much as a compliment. The two series are very similar in terms of plot (ex-gang-member-gunman with laid back lifestyle becomes a bounty hunter with an older man, a child, and a glamorous woman as partners, but never seems to have enough money for anything better than cup-noodles and ends up having a showdown with his sword wielding ex-partner over a dead girl), but somehow Black Cat is just more fun, whereas Cowboy Bebop is more artful.

If you've enjoyed these drabbles (and I very much hope you have), let me know. Or, better yet, why not write your own? They're great practice, and can be very entertaining in their own right. The Black Cat fandom could always use some more quality fanfics, after all. Thanks to anyone who's read or reviewed these drabbles; I've enjoyed writing them, and I hope to contribute to the Black Cat fandom again.


End file.
